1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mobiles that are typically used for esthetic enhancement of occupied spaces and, more particularly, to three dimensional mobiles that are fabricated as two dimensional objects and expanded to three dimensional form.
2. Description of Related Art
Mobiles are generally defined as abstract sculptures having moving parts that are driven either by motors or the natural force of air movement. The word mobile was initially suggested by Marcel Duchamp for a 1932 Paris exhibition of such works by the American artist Alexander Calder. One of Calder's first mobiles consisted of colored spheres motorized to move up and down curving wires at different speeds. Later, he developed wind mobiles from flat metal shapes suspended by wires from movable rods, which allowed for rotation. The revolving part s created a new visual experience of constantly changing volumes and forms; Calder, as he expressed it, was “making one or two objects at a time find actual relationship in space.”
Following Calder's example, mobiles have become commonplace in modern decor for residential, business, and commercial uses. Mobiles are generally constructed of individual pieces or objects that are suspended from each other or from supporting struts or structures. Generally this construction technique involves some effort to balance the assembly so that it may be suspended from a single point and be susceptible to movement by air currents and the like. Thus the artisan must be skilled in selecting visually appealing combinations of elements, as well as balancing the weights of the elements to arrive at an assembly that is in equilibrium while permitting movement of the elements.
These factors tend to mitigate against mass production of mobile assemblies, due in part to the requirements of weight balancing. As a result, mobiles tend to be regarded as one-of-a-kind artistic creations, rather than commonly available decorative objects.
In the prior art, Design Pat. No. 413,078 appears to depict a kinetic sculpture which is formed from a three dimensional expansion of an object that may be collapsed into a flattened disposition. The object is a spiral suspended from its central point, and it is not apparent how the spiral is fabricated nor whether the flattened disposition involves a two-dimensional originating object.